The concept of the xe2x80x9cCalf Masterxe2x80x9d is that of an exercise device that is specifically designed to economically isolate, tone, and workout ones calf muscles in a fashion which can be easily accomplished at home or where ever desired, without the need for weights or bulky stationary equipment.
Studies have shown that the calf muscle is not only one of the hardest muscles to develop in the body but also one of the most important and most neglected as well. The calf muscle plays a major part in our every day lives whether you are athletic or not but for the most part, it goes with out noticed until injured. If your calf muscles are too tight, they can""t take the sudden stress, so they strain, they pop, and end up causing you real grief.
Calf muscle injuries are almost always tears of the juncture between the medial half of the calf muscle (the inner part, technically called the gastrocnemius) and the Achilles"" tendon. In most cases, the muscle-tendon junction tear is caused by poor calf muscle flexibility.
Injuries such as those describe above are very serious especially those involving the Achilles tendon which more than often require surgery. These injuries can be prevented in a relatively easy fashion. You simply must keep your calf muscles stretched, flexible and strengthen at all times, Specifically with the aid of a calf machine.
Today""s calf machines are bulky, weighty, stationary equipment designed for in house use in the gyms and fitness centers only. They also require a considerable amount of weight to be somewhat effective.
Originally, in order to work the calf muscles you had to place a weight bar on your shoulders with the desired weight on each side and raise up on your toes either from a flat surface or place a board, preferably a 2xc3x974 or any thing flat and stable, about three to five inches thick under the ball of your foot to allow a broader range of motion to work the calves some what effectively. The problems with this method was that: not only do you have to focus on the exercise itself but you have to focus on balancing the weight while you raise up on your toes which takes away from the main focus: your calves.
Although this method is still widely used today, there have been several machines invented specifically for the calves. While the method of adding resistance is relatively different, the actual exercise and objective remains the same. There are two basic types of calf machines: the standing calf raise and the seated calf raise.
The standing calf raise is basically the same as using a straight bar on your shoulders with weights on either side but with out the worry of trying to balance the weight and lift at the same time. The standing calf machine regardless of the brand are very bulky heavy weight machines, often weighing a minimum of 500 pounds designed analogously and are very expensive. The standing calf machines are none portable designed specifically for the gyms and fitness centers which makes them convenient only at the facilities that are housing them.
The deficiencies surrounding these machines are all the same: the standing calf raise, though relatively effective doesn""t eliminate the tendency to bounce the weight when fatigue sits in which in terms is very ineffective in working the calves. In addition to bouncing, the standing calf machines allows you the option of bending the knees, and cheating on the press, that""s when you do not raise all the way up on your toes to fully contract the calf muscle or cheating on the decline, that""s when you do not go down far enough to extend and or stretch the calf muscle and the Achilles"" tendon which as a result is very ineffective in working the calves and can be the catalyst for future injuries. Lastly, although it is possible for you to work the calves individually, the standing calf machines are designed to work both of the calves simultaneously which makes it some what uncomfortable, and puts a bit of a strain on the lower back and spine when done individually.
The seated calf machines though extremely different in design from the standing calf machines are very effective when used properly. They allow one to ingeniously be in a seated position while working the calves. Compared to the standing calf machines, the seated calf machines are relatively small taking up half the space of the standing calf machines and weighs a lot less, around 50 to 70 pounds without weights. The cost though roughly half of that of the standing calf machines is still relatively expensive.
Though extremely more practicable than the standing calf machines, the seated calf machines are not designed to be portable thereby limiting the availability only to the facility housing the machine. Also the seated calf machines requires external weights which takes up more space and adds to its impracticability.
Although this design eliminates the added stress put on the back and shoulders caused by the standing calf machines, they too failed to eliminate the tendency to bounce the weight when fatigue. While the seated calf machines succeeded in eliminating the option of bending the knees, they failed in eliminating the option to cheat on the press, that""s when you do not raise all the way up on your toes to fully contract the calf muscle or cheating on the decline, that""s when you do not go down far enough to extend or stretch the calf muscle and the Achilles"" tendon which as a result is very ineffective in working the calves and also like the standing calf machines can be the catalyst for future injuries.
There is no doubt that the prior arts give the calves a relative good work out but a relatively good work out is not good enough when it involves the calves. The key to developing the calf muscle is isolation; something that the prior arts failed to explore and adopt. The calves are designed to work as a team and as long as they are working together, you are more than likely to bum out trying to work out the calves than they are from your work out but by isolating the calves, you eliminate the team factor therefore forcing the calves to work independently rather the dependently and as a result, the calves are forced to work harder.
Lastly, as mentioned earlier, the Achilles"" tendon more so than the calves go relatively unnoticed until an injury occur which brings me to the next disadvantage of the prior arts as a whole. The prior arts are very impracticable and inconvenient when it comes to rehabilitating an injury to the lower extremity for various reasons most of which are mentioned above.
First and for most, the Calf Master is designed specifically to economically isolate, tone, and workout ones calf muscle effectively in a fashion which can be easily accomplished at home or where ever desired, without the need for weights or bulky stationary equipment.
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of my invention are as follows: though the Calf Master may be referred to as a home fitness device, it is designed to be very portable, able to be taken and administered virtually anywhere. The Calf Master is very light weight, weighing roughly one to two in a half pounds: a featherweight compared to the prior arts. It""s extremely storage friendly, taking up the space of a medium size shoebox. The Calf Master is also very inexpensive, costing a fraction of the cost associated with the prior arts. The Calf Master is designed to be universal, one size fits all. Unlike the prior arts, the Calf Master by design gives you three options: stretch it out, work it out or both.
Once the Calf Master is locked in position, it forces you to stretch the calf muscle: something that is essential before beginning any exercise or workout. From the start or stretched position, you have no choice but to point the toes as if you were raising up on your toes on the standing calf machine or the seated calf machine but unlike those machines, no bouncing is involved. Even when fatigued, you only have three options, stretch it out, work it out or both, bouncing is not an option.
The Calf Master uses weight resistance rubber bands of different pounds per resistance to give you the required none wavering resistance.
Also unlike the standing and seated calf machines, the Calf Master is innovatively designed to isolate the calves thus making the calf muscle and the Achilles"" tendon the focus of your workout. Although the Calf Master was designed to give one that added advantage in working the calves, just as important or even more so, it is also designed for rehabilitation purposes as well. The Calf Master can be used to rehabilitate the calves after a muscle strain, to rehabilitate the ankle after an ankle sprain or breakage, and most importantly the Achilles"" tendon after a sprain of tear. Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.